The present invention relates to improvements in observation hives, and particularly to an observation hive wherein the standard frame and the shallow frame are more firmly mounted and held during the use of the observation hive.
An observation hive is typically a thin upstanding box with a generally vertical observation window providing a view of a colony of honey bees living and working within the box. It is difficult to maintain a permanent colony of honey bees in an observation hive, and the observation hive is generally constructed only to observe the honey bee life cycle.
Honey bees can be tempermental and ordinarily work in fully enclosed darkened spaces, whereby the provision of a window for observation of the working of the honey bees introduces a disturbing influence into their lives. It therefore is desirable to eliminate any other disturbing influence from the observation hive, and to this end the present invention provides an observation hive is more solidly built with the parts closely and snugly fitting and held firmly in their operative positions during the use thereof to house working honey bees. This is accomplished in a large part by the provision of a dovetail construction for mounting a standard frame and a shallow frame in the usual superimposed positions within the observation hive, and thereafter holding these frames in the working positions by contacting the same with parts of the cover for the observation hive which is latched in position and in turn holds the standard frame and the shallow frame snugly in the working positions thereof. The thus secured frames will not strike the adjacent glass plates covering the sides of the hive, thus providing an important safety feature.
The observation hive of the present invention also incorporates therein "bee space" which makes the bees more comfortable. "Bee space" refers to the provision of a space surrounding the individual frames on the order of at least 1/4" to about 3/8", a space which is too large to be filled and sealed in the normal occupancy of the hive by the bees, but which is too small to encourage the building of extra comb. Also, there are provided two opaque hardboard shields which can be selectively mounted and demounted, the hardboard shields when mounted serving to darken the interior of the observation hive, thus encouraging bee activity, and the removal of one or both of the hardboard shields accommodating viewing of the observation hive from either side thereof. The provision of the hardboard shields also eliminates the danger of breaking the observation glass when transporting the observation hive, thus providing a significant safety feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,211,587 granted Jan. 9, 1917 to J. W. Jordan shows horizontally arranged dovetail grooves for hanging hive frames by top members, but there is no suggestion of using such a construction to position a frame vertically in an observation hive. U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,066 granted Dec. 21, 1937 to E. Engelbrektsson shows spacers on a cover for a bee hive but does not show the dovetail mounting at the sides of the frames.
Permanently mounted side cleats for support of hive frames are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 181,753 granted Aug. 29, 1876 to G. H. Wiley, U.S. Pat. No. 736,226 granted Aug. 11, 1903 to F. Danzenbaker, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,048,950 granted Dec. 31, 1912 to F. Danzenbaker. The use of dovetail construction in parts of a bee hive other than those for hanging the frames are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,150,067 granted Mar. 7, 1939 to W. T. Kelley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,432 granted Sept. 13, 1955 to J. E. Willard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,135 granted May 7, 1963 to W. Z. Covington, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,969 granted Apr. 30, 1974 to E. O. Varama.
Typical prior art observation hives for honey bees are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 22,044 granted Mar. 3, 1942 to D. E. O'Beirne, U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,784 granted Jan. 8, 1963 to H. S. Kolb, U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,134 granted May 7, 1963 to V. R. Abel, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,026 granted June 13, 1978 to D. J. Simoni, but none of these prior observation hives incorporate therein the improved standard frame and shallow frame mounting system of the present invention.